This invention relates to a sealed package having a bubble-seal for easy opening, and more particularly to bubbles which are edge breached to provide peel flaps for opening the package.
In earlier times small packages of consumer goods such as snacks and candy bars were easy to open. The goods were wrapped in paper, light plastic, thin cellophane, or some other easy to tear closure material. These packages frequently had pull tabs or rip strings to assist the consumer. Some items were simply cradled in a folded tinfoil wrapper which slid out of a paper sleeve. Later, cost pressure and safety considerations drove the packaging industry toward today""s difficult to open containers. Stronger enclosures reduced shipping and storage spoilage and retail handling losses. Thicker, tougher material was employed to minimize accidental and intentional puncturing. The enclosures became sterile, hermetically sealed cells to protect against moisture damage. In certain cases, tamper resistant features further hindered the easy opening of the packages. Pull tabs were no longer provided and the consumer frequently had to resort to scissors or a blade to open the package. The modern, shrink-wrap packaging of small consumer goods may present the ultimate challenge to the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,556 to Farmer shows a package with a bursting seal for controlling the discharge rate of a stored liquid or fluid commodity. The commodity is contained in a large storage chamber and dispensed through a smaller, adjacent discharge chamber. Pressure applied to the commodity in the storage chamber causes a storage seal between the two chambers to rupture, resulting in fluid flow from the storage chamber into the discharge chamber. Continued pressure on the storage chamber fluid causes a discharge seal to rupture permitting the fluid to discharge from the discharge chamber into the environment. The Farmer package and technique was not suitable for solid commodities. Major applied pressure was required to rupture both the storage seal and the discharge seal. This pressure is the only force at work to burst the package, and simultaneously ruptures the seals and discharges the liquid. The force is increased by the consumer until the commodity is discharged. The internal pressure in the chambers, may cause fluid leakage through existing small cracks and other flaws. The pressure may contribute to the development of additional flaws at weak places in the closure material. A sufficiently heavy pressure directly on the fluid commodity will cause a sudden failure of the seals and an explosive, squirt release of the contents.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bubble-seal apparatus for a package which permits easy opening by a consumer. The package has a bubble-seal formed by one or more bubbles along the edge to be opened. The bubble or bubbles are edge breached by the consumer to create the start of an opening in the package. The package material around the bubble site after the edge breach, provides small peel flaps which the consumer may grasp to peel the package open.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a bubble-seal which permits the consumer to manually open a tough, hermetically sealed package using only his fingers without tearing the closure material or employing a separate tool or appliance. The consumer grasps the small peel flaps between his finger tips to start the peeling. As the peeling proceeds the peel flaps become larger. The consumer may hold them securely between his thumb and forefinger and peel with greater force. This manually opening effort may be conveniently executed at any time or place without the assistance of any external tools or aides.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bubble-seal which may be easily breached by the application of light pressure on a single bubbles or small groups of adjacent bubbles. This methodical, localized popping promotes a sequential opening process. Because the bubble squeezing requirement is slight, the arthritic elderly and young children may readily open the package. Further, the pressure is applied to the bubbles, not directly on the article in the package.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bubble-seal which permits a consumer to open a package without employing a sharp instrument or cutting edge. As part of increased homeland security, the security staff at airport checkpoints are screening passengers and X-raying luggage more closely. Small pocket scissors, penknives, and even fingernail clippers maybe detected and seized, possibly initiating a complete luggage search. This time-consuming security action may embarrass the suspect passenger, and delay the boarding of the other passengers. In addition, sharp instruments may be hazardous to a small child or elderly person (or anyone else) who might be opening a tightly sealed snack.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bubble-seal for an easily opened package which provides audio feedback during the opening process. The beaching bubbles provide an intense rush of escaping air with a popping sound much like the sound of a small balloon popping. This distinct sound informs the consumer that the immediate bubble has been properly popped. The consumer may then move on to the next bubble in an orderly, efficient manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bubble-seal for an easily opened package which provides tactile feedback during the opening process. The position of the bubbles may be readily sensed by the seeing impaired, or a child in a dark theater, or a night nurse on a dimly lighted ward. In addition, shape of the bubble may provide critical information about the article.
Briefly, these and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a bubble seal apparatus for easily opening a storage package. Enclosure material forms a chamber within the package for containing a stored article, with a chamber access region proximate the edge of the package. A band seal extending along the access region is formed by opposed laminae of enclosure material pressed into sealing engagement. At least one breaching bubble within the band seal is enclosed between the opposed laminae. The opposed laminae form an inner seal within the band seal between the bubble and the chamber. The opposed laminae also form an outer seal within the band seal between the bubble and the edge of the apparatus. The breaching bubble is expandable towards the edge of the apparatus by applied pressure which separates the opposed laminae. When the bubble reaches the edge, the bubble breaches creating an edge breach in the outer seal. Opposed peel flaps are formed by the opposed laminae of the outer seal along the edge breach as the bubble breaches. These flaps are peeled apart separating the opposed laminae to open the band seal.